The chaotic symphony of the Rain Dinners casino floor was reaching a crescendo. The blackjack dealer had been carried away on a stretcher, mumbling about "The Heart of the Cards" and "Red Kings." The pit boss was weeping into his communicator. And at the center of it all, Monkey D. Luffy sat atop a throne made entirely of poker chips, laughing with the pure, unadulterated joy of a man who doesn't understand probability but is conquering it anyway.
Ben sat nearby, casually stacking his own winnings—a fortress of gold and crimson chips that represented the GDP of a small island. He lit a cigarette, his eyes scanning the perimeter.
Here it comes, Ben thought. The bait.
A man in a pristine white tuxedo, sweating so profusely that his collar was turning translucent, approached the group. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace of pain.
"E-Excuse me," the manager stammered, bowing low. "Mr... uh... Straw Hat?"
"Yeah?" Luffy chirped, stuffing a handful of peanuts into his mouth. "You want chips? I have lots! Usopp said I broke the bank, but I didn't break anything!"
"No, no, sir!" The manager waved his hands. "You are simply... too good! Our current tables cannot contain your immense luck and skill! The owner... he wishes to invite you to the VIP Lounge."
"VIP?" Luffy tilted his head. "Is there meat?"
"The finest meats! And the stakes are unlimited!" The manager's eyes darted nervously to Ben. "It is a private room. For our most... distinguished guests. Would you care to join us?"
Luffy jumped up, scattering a few million berries worth of chips. "Meat and games? Let's go!"
"Wait a minute, Luffy!" Usopp grabbed the back of Luffy's vest, his legs trembling. "Think about it! We just humiliated them! Why would they invite us to a special room? This screams 'Trap'!"
"But Usopp," Luffy said seriously. "He said unlimited stakes. That means unlimited meat."
"That's not what stakes means!" Usopp cried.
Nami stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. She clutched her bag of winnings to her chest. She looked at Ben. Her gaze was a silent question: Do we walk into the lion's mouth?
Ben met her gaze. He didn't speak. He simply took a drag of his cigarette and gave a barely perceptible nod. His eyes were calm, calculating.
Let them lead us, his expression said. It saves us the trouble of hunting.
"Fine," Nami sighed, trusting the wizard. "We'll go. But if this is a trick, I'm charging you a 'Life Threatening Situation' fee."
Sanji materialized from the crowd, looking dejected. "The bunny-girl waitress said she had a boyfriend," he murmured, lighting a cigarette to match Ben's. "My heart is shattered. I am ready for violence. Let us proceed."
"Right this way!" The manager beamed, looking relieved that he didn't have to call security on the monsters.
They followed the manager away from the noise of the main floor, through a pair of velvet curtains, and into a long, quiet corridor. The floor was covered in a plush red carpet that swallowed the sound of their footsteps. The walls were lined with expensive art—paintings of oases, golden statues of crocodiles, and tapestries depicting the glory of Rainbase.
They walked for a few minutes until the corridor forked.
To the left: VIP GUESTS.
To the right: PIRATES.
The crew stopped.
Usopp stared at the signs. He adjusted his goggles. He rubbed his eyes.
"Okay," Usopp said flatly. "This isn't even a trap anymore. It's an IQ test. We go left, right? Obviously, we go left."
Luffy stared at the signs. He pointed to the right.
"It says 'Pirates'," Luffy read. "I'm a pirate."
"Luffy, no!" Usopp grabbed his arm. "That is the 'Come Here To Die' tunnel! It's obviously the trap! The VIP room is the other way!"
"But I'm not a Guest," Luffy argued, his logic impenetrable. "I'm a Pirate. So I go the Pirate way. Come on!"
Luffy marched toward the pirate way, dragging a screaming Usopp across the red carpet.
"Nooooo! My I-Have-Wait-Is-That-A-Trap Disease is acting up! Ben! Nami! Stop him!"
Nami face-palmed. "He's an idiot. A complete idiot."
"He's our Captain," Sanji sighed, following them. "Ladies first, Nami-swan."
Ben chuckled softly, bringing up the rear. "At least he's honest."
They entered the "Pirate" corridor.
As soon as the last member of the crew stepped past the archway.
CLICK.
Suddenly, the floor beneath them vanished.
It was a trapdoor dropping out from under their feet.
"GYAAAAAAAAAH!" Usopp screamed.
"WAAAAHHHOOOO!" Luffy cheered.
"Dammit!" Nami shrieked.
They fell. They slid down a slick, polished stone chute, tumbling over each other in a tangle of limbs. They slid for ten seconds, picking up speed, spiraling down into the bowels of the pyramid.
Then, the chute ended.
They were ejected into mid-air.
THUD. CRASH. OOF.
They landed in a heap on a hard stone floor.
"Ouch..." Nami groaned, pushing Usopp's foot off her face. "I'm increasing the fee. Definitely increasing the fee."
"Where are we?" Sanji asked, jumping up and dusting off his suit instantly. He looked around.
They were in a large, dimly lit room. But they weren't free.
They were inside a massive cage. The bars were thick, dark gray, and exuded a cold, metallic aura.
Beyond the bars, the room was furnished like a high-end office. There was a long banquet table, comfortable leather chairs, and a large aquarium built into the wall.
And sitting at the head of the table, looking utterly bored, was Sir Crocodile.
"Welcome," the Warlord rasped, his voice deep and scratching like sand against stone. "I must say, you made that easy. Most rats try to scurry to the VIP room before I drop them."
"CROCODILE!"
Luffy saw him. The man who made Vivi cry. The man who dried up the country.
Reason left Luffy's brain. Rage took over.
Luffy launched himself at the bars of the cage.
"I'M GONNA KICK YOUR—"
Luffy's hands grabbed the thick grey bars to rip them apart.
ZAP.
It wasn't electricity. It was an instant, overwhelming drain.
Luffy's eyes rolled back. His rubbery strength evaporated instantly. His knees buckled.
"Ugh..."
He collapsed against the bars, sliding down to the floor like a wet towel. He panted heavily, unable to lift his finger.
"Luffy!" Nami cried, rushing to him. "What's wrong?!"
"Strength... gone..." Luffy wheezed. "Can't... move..."
Sanji rushed forward and kicked the bars. CLANG.
His leg vibrated from the impact. The bars didn't even dent. "These things are hard! Harder than steel!"
"Of course they are," Crocodile sneered, taking a sip of his wine. He stood up slowly, his fur coat swaying. "You are rookies, but surely you recognize Kairoseki. Sea Prism Stone."
"Sea Prism Stone?" Usopp squeaked, hiding behind Ben.
"It emits the same energy as the sea," Crocodile explained, walking closer to the cage, looking down at the paralyzed Luffy with contempt. "For a Devil Fruit user, touching these bars is no different than drowning in the ocean. You are powerless, Straw Hat. Just a rubber toy with no bounce."
Luffy gritted his teeth, trying to stand, but his limbs wouldn't obey. "You... cheater..."
"It's not cheating," Crocodile laughed darkly. "It's preparation. I knew you were coming. Did you really think you could just waltz into my base and challenge me?"
Crocodile turned his back on them, walking toward the aquarium where massive Bananawani swam hungrily.
"You are trapped. And in a few hours, this room will be submerged in water, and you will be nothing more than crocodile food."
He turned back, a cruel glint in his eyes.
"But, since you have front-row seats to the end of the world, I suppose I can tell you. You tried so hard to stop the rebellion in Katorea. A valiant effort. But it doesn't matter."
"What do you mean?" Nami asked, her voice trembling.
"Operation Utopia," Crocodile spread his arms wide. "It begins tomorrow. While the Rebel Army is confused and stalling, my billion agents are already in Alubarna. They won't incite a riot. No... they will trigger a catastrophe."
"A massive cannon," Crocodile continued, enjoying the look of horror on their faces. "Hidden in the clock tower plaza. It will fire a shell into the marketplace. Hundreds will die. And who will they blame? The King. The confusion will reignite the war instantly. The Rebels will charge. The Royal Army will fire back. And in the chaos... I will kill King Cobra and take the throne as the savior."
"You're a monster!" Nami shouted.
"I am a visionary," Crocodile corrected. "This country is weak. It needs a strong hand. It needs me."
He looked at his pocket watch.
"You have about one hour before the room fills with water. I'd say 'get comfortable', but..." He chuckled. "You're about to die."
Throughout the entire monologue, Ben had been leaning against the back wall of the cage. He hadn't touched the bars. He hadn't screamed. He had simply watched Crocodile with a look of mild interest, like a professor listening to a student's thesis defense.
As Crocodile finished his speech and turned to leave the room, Ben cleared his throat.
"Hey, Croc-boy."
Crocodile stopped. He turned his head, his single eye narrowing. "You have any last words?"
"Not last words," Ben said, pushing off the wall and stepping toward the front of the cage. He stepped over the groaning form of Luffy. "Just a critique. Your plan is solid. The cannon, the framing, the Sea Stone cage... it's all very classic villain stuff. Solid B-plus work."
"Critique?" Crocodile turned fully around, amused. "You are locked in an unbreakable cage, about to drown, and you are grading me?"
"I am," Ben nodded. "But you made one calculation error. A variable you couldn't account for because it doesn't exist in your world."
"And what is that?" Crocodile scoffed. "I know about Devil Fruits, boy. Whatever Paramecia trick you have, it won't work on Sea Stone. That cage neutralizes powers. You can't break it."
Ben stopped inches from the bars. He looked Crocodile dead in the eye.
"That's the error," Ben said softly. "You think I'm a Devil Fruit user."
Ben reached into his trench coat.
Crocodile tensed, expecting a gun.
Ben pulled out a sleek, polished wooden stick.
"I'm not a rubber man," Ben said. "And I'm not a fruit user."
He twirled the wand in his fingers.
"I'm a Wizard."
Ben tapped the thick, Sea Prism Stone bars with the tip of his wand.
He visualized the molecular structure of the stone—the density, the mineral composition. And then, he visualized hemp. Fibers. Softness.
"Duro Mutare: Funiculus."
A violet spark jumped from the wand to the cage.
Crocodile's eye widened. "What—"
The change was instant and horrifyingly silent.
The impenetrable, diamond-hard Sea Prism Stone bars didn't explode. They didn't melt.
They simply... wilted.
The grey stone rippled and transformed into thick, coarse, hempen ropes.
Gravity took over. The "bars" went limp, collapsing from the ceiling and piling onto the floor like dead snakes.
The cage was wide open.
"What?!" Crocodile took a step back, genuine shock cracking his composure for the first time. "Impossible! Sea Stone is indestructible! It cancels powers!"
"It cancels your powers," Ben corrected, stepping out of the cage over the pile of ropes. "Not mine."
Behind Ben, Luffy gasped.
The moment the stone turned to rope.
The energy flooded back into Luffy body like a dam breaking.
The rubber snapped back.
"SHISHISHI!"
Luffy sprang up. He crouched low, steam rising from his skin. He looked at the open cage. He looked at Ben. And then he looked at the Warlord.
"Thanks, Ben!" Luffy grinned.
He punched his palm.
"Hey, Crocodile!"
Crocodile stared at the ropes, his mind trying to process the impossibility of what just happened.
Luffy didn't give him time to process.
"GOMU GOMU NO..."
Luffy launched himself out of the cage, a rubber bullet aiming straight for the Warlord's face.
"ROCKET!!"